Friday, July 22, 2005

When in doubt, an open thread

Post away boys and girls. Same rules as always. Any subject which piques our interest will get its own thread. The job, the city, politics, books, movies, whatever. Anyone interested in seeing more of those "officer safety alert" type posts? We know the Department offers some, but we don't think we've ever seen any on the FOP site. Compliments and criticism are welcome in equal measures.

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has earned a national reputation for his community-based programs to address education, public safety, neighborhood development and other challenges facing American cities.

A former state senator and county prosecutor, Mr Daley was elected Mayor on 4 April 1989, to complete the term of the late Harold Washington, and was re-elected in 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003.

Frustrated with the performance of Chicago's public schools, Mr Daley obtained unprecedented control over the schools from the Illinois General Assembly in 1995. His new management team, composed of experienced political, business and academic leaders, closed a $1.8 billion deficit by imposing fiscal discipline; made homework mandatory; ended social promotion of underperforming students; improved school safety; greatly expanded summer school, after-school and early childhood education programs; and invested $3.6 billion in capital improvements.

(Q.How much money was needed for the bailout this year? A.$175,000,000) SEE CHART BELOW

CPS FISCAL YEAR 2006 BUDGET

COST INCREASES

Salary $136 million

Health care $33 million

Pension $39 million

Taxes and other benefits $4 million

Early Childhood Program $11 million

Building upkeep $10 million

Debt for new capital projects $17 million

Total cost increases $250 million

PLANNED REDUCTIONS

Administration $25 million

Food program $10 million

Transportation efficiency $14 million

- Total planned reductions $49 million

- REVENUE INCREASES $26 million

= Deficit after reductions and revenue $175 million

Source: Chicago Public Schools / Chicago Tribune

(BACK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE)

Student scores on standardized tests have risen consistently since 1995 and passed national norms in some areas in 2002. But Mr Daley has challenged students and teachers to do even better. Recently, he has pushed especially hard to improve the teaching of reading, to increase parental involvement in education and to expand after-school and summer programs, as well as early childhood education.

Under his leadership, Chicago's community policing program also became a national model, with beat officers working with city agencies and neighborhood residents to solve problems that foster crime. The police department added 1,600 officers, launched an aggressive anti-gang program and seized and destroyed 12,000 to 15,000 illegal weapons each year, more than any other city in the nation. In a nationally acclaimed effort to stem the flow of guns into Chicago, the City and Cook County sued the gun industry for $433 million in 1998, accusing it of creating a public nuisance.

(WENT NOWHERE)

Chicago's crime rate has dropped every year since 1992.His focus on quality-of-life concerns has led to greater emphasis on the delivery of basic services, from removing graffiti, abandoned cars

(WHICH ARE SOLD FOR PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR)

and deteriorating buildings to creating more green space and a citywide recycling plan.

(BUST)

He tripled the number of available beds for the homeless

(THEN WHY ARE THERE PERMANENT HOMELESS RESIDENTS IN ALMOST EVERY POLICE STATION)

and committed record resources to the development of affordable housing.

Under Mr Daley's leadership, the City of Chicago, the Chicago Park District, the Board of Education and the Public Building Commission have invested more than $7 billion in capital improvements since 1989. This includes 1,500 new classrooms serving 45,000 students; street, sidewalk, bridge, sewer and other infrastructure improvements in Chicago neighborhoods; more than 120 new acres of parkland; new ice rinks, recreation centers and swimming pool upgrades; and 41 new or renovated branch libraries.

(SURE NEEDED MEIGS TO BE QUIET AROUND THE LAKEFRONT (daley's HOUSE))(CAN ANYONE SAY WROUGHT IRON FENCES-JUST A QUICK QUESTION- WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD WANT TO FENCE IN AN AREA OF OPEN RECREATION LAND WHICH IS WHAT A PARK IS SUPPOSED TO BE?)

To improve the business climate, he trimmed business taxes by tens of millions of dollars,

(THERE GOES MORE MONEY)

streamlined regulatory licensing processes for small businesses; created a business assistance program to support local companies and spur neighborhood development; offered financial incentives to attract and retain employers, and began a Technology Development Initiative to attract high-tech businesses.

His landmark ordinance, introduced in 1990, guarantees 25 per cent of all city contracts to minority-owned businesses (MBE)

(OR daley's FRIENDS)

and five per cent to women-owned businesses (WBE). The City has surpassed those percentages every year since.

(LET'S SEE THOSE NUMBERS NOW)

Mr Daley has also increased the number and percentage of minorities in the city's workforce, created an Office of Sexual Harassment to investigate complaints and stiffened penalties for hate crimes.

and holding city employees more accountable, he has saved taxpayers more than $50 million a year

(AND COST US WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH?)

and held city-levied property tax increases to slightly over one per cent a year, far below the rate of inflation. The nation's three major rating agencies rate Chicago's credit among the highest of any city.

Chicago's Mayor has won a number of awards. In 1997 he was named Municipal Leader of the Year by American City and County magazine; a Public Official of the Year by Governing magazine; and Politician of the Year by Library Journal. In 1996 he headed the US Conference of Mayors.

(WHAT HAS daley DONE FOR ME LATELY)

Richard Michael Daley was born in Chicago on 24 April 1942, the fourth of seven children and the eldest son of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley and his wife Eleanor. He graduated from De La Salle Academy and earned undergraduate and law degrees from DePaul University and began his public service career in 1969 when he was elected to the Illinois Constitutional Convention. From 1972 to 1980 he served in the Illinois Senate, where he led the fight to remove the sales tax on food and medicine, sponsored landmark mental health legislation and established rights for nursing home residents.

Mr Daley was elected State's Attorney of Cook County in 1980.

(I'M SURE THAT HE WAS QUALIFIED)

He pushed successfully for tougher state narcotics laws and raised the conviction rate dramatically.

(BY THROWING OUT ANYTHING THAT WASN'T A SURE THING)

He helped overhaul Illinois' antiquated rape laws to obtain more convictions and developed programs to combat drink driving, domestic violence and child support delinquencies. Re-elected States Attorney in 1984 and 1988, he was the first Cook County official to sign a decree eliminating politically motivated hiring and firing.

(BET HE DOES ANOTHER ONE. OH WAIT, DIDN'T HE JUST FIRE SOME POLITICAL HACK FROM THE NORTHWEST SIDE FOR HAVING JESSE JUNIOR APPEAR AT A MEETING)

Here's two ideas for a thread Mr. Moderator, from the front page of Saturday's Tribune.

The first concerns US Senator Durbin, whom you frequently ridicule. He had a private meeting with the US Supreme Court nominee from the person in the White House. He seems open to discussion on Roberts. What, can't say anything good about the senator?

Secondly, and probably better, aldermen are against the mayor's idea to have a commission over see hiring.

Durbin seems open to discussion on John Roberts, as long as the hot button issues take front stage and politicians get their chance to spout off. Before I get criticized for bashing the democrats on this, I disapproved when the Republicans did the same to Clinton nominees for the courts a few years back. Something is wrong with the system when a politician can derail or permanently stall a nomination based on one issue, no matter what party is leading the charge. When politicians do this, they are violating the separation of powers clause in the Constitution. Perhaps it should be a fixed amount of time to examine the judges viewpoints and qualifications, and then a mandatory vote by Congress. Ideas?

But when the republicans did it, they still approved Bader-Ginsburg 97-3, realizing that as the dem's were in the majority, they got to set the agenda. The dems can't handle being in the minority, so they do nothing but obstruct